1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a steering wheel, and more particularly to a steering wheel on which various types of switches are arranged.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is demanded that various controlling operations are carried out easily while operating a running vehicle. While operating a running vehicle, the driver performs acceleration and/or deceleration controlling operations (automatic cruise control) directly related to the running of the vehicle, reception and transmission control operations such as answering a telephone call in which the reception and/or transmission of information is carried out relative to the outside, internal apparatuses controlling operations in which internal apparatuses such as an air conditioner and audio equipment are operated, scroll controlling operations for the display of a navigation system and other various controlling operations.
Groups of switches constituted by a plurality of switch elements for the aforesaid controlling operations are arranged on the steering wheel for operation by the driver during driving. Groups of switches arranged in a row in a radial direction on spoke portions of a steering wheel are known in JP-A-58-30549U, groups of switches arranged circumferentially on a wheel rim (grip portions) of a steering wheel are known in JP-A-64-28364U, groups of switches arranged, respectively, on left and right spoke portions disposed at proper angular positions for the fingers of the left and right hands gripping a steering wheel are known in JP-A-57-11133, and groups of switches arranged as an accompaniment to a display panel disposed on a pad portion of a steering wheel are known in JP-62-87953U.
Known as a switch are a push button switch, a slide switch, a seesaw switch, a rotary switch (a volume switch), a composite switch adapted to be rotated and pushed for operation and a touch switch. It is difficult to determine the operating conditions of these switches. The number of switch elements will increase further as communication with the outside becomes multifunctional, the running operating performance becomes sophisticated, and internal apparatuses become diversified.
FIGS. 9 and 10 show general ergonomic characteristics of the tip of the finger of the hand gripping a steering wheel rim. As shown in FIG. 9, it is illustrated how easily the thumb of the hand gripping the grip which is the steering wheel rim moves on a plane substantially parallel with the plane of the steering wheel rim, and FIG. 10 illustrates how easy it is for the thumb to move in axial directions of the steering wheel rim. It is difficult for thumb to move in directions other than the aforesaid directions. JP-A-57-11133 discloses switches based on movements illustrated in FIG. 11 (a slid switch or a volume switch). In the case of switches like those illustrated switches adapted to move in circumferential directions A of a steering wheel, it is difficult to arrange many of the switches concentrically with a steering wheel within a range which allows operations by the finger of the hand gripping the grip of the steering wheel. As shown in FIG. 11, the difficulty with such a collective arrangement of switches is that since the switches are operated in circumferential directions, a space between the switches together with the operating amount thereof must be made wide.
The JP-A-58-30549U discloses a switch (a push button switch) based on movements illustrated in FIG. 10. With a switch like that disclosed one, as shown in FIG. 12, since the switch is operated in an axial direction of the steering wheel, the switch space can be reduced, but only a single function can be assigned to a single switch due to its one-way operation. This eventually increases the total number of switches and makes it substantially impossible to collect groups of switches. As the total number of switches increases, it becomes difficult to determine the switches, this deteriorating further the operability of the switches for this reason. With the slide switch, it is possible to provide separate functions in accordance with its operating directions.
It is desired that a number of switch elements can be arranged and that the switching operation is easy. Moreover, it is desired that the discrimination and division of the types of many switch elements can easily be carried out physically and sensuously. Moreover, it is desired that switches can easily be operated by the fingers other than the thumb and that the diversification in switch operation can easily be well accepted. It is hoped that these preferred arrangements of groups of switches provide no feeling of complicatedness while providing a good external appearance.
An object of the invention is to provide a steering wheel which allows the arrangement of a number of switch elements, facilitates switching operations and avoids the deterioration in operability due to the increase in number of switch elements.
A further object of the invention is to provide a steering wheel which facilitates the discrimination and division of types of a number of switches physically and sensuously.
A further object of the invention is to provide a steering wheel which facilitates the switching operations by the fingers other than the thumb and allows the diversification in switching operations to be well accepted.
A further object of the invention is to provide a steering wheel which allows the arrangement of a number of switch elements, facilitates switching operations, and provides no complicatedness in arrangement of groups of switches while providing a good external appearance.
According to the invention, there is provided a steering wheel on which operation switches for operating control apparatuses installed in an automotive vehicle are mounted, comprising a supporting body disposed inwardly of and substantially concentrically with a wheel rim and having a cross-section partially formed by an arc, the control switches being disposed on the supporting body and capable of moving in a circumferential direction of the supporting body.
Thus, by using the operation switches disposed on the supporting body disposed substantially concentrically with the wheel rim and having a cross-section partially formed by an arc and capable of moving in circumferential directions of the supporting body along the arc thereof the travelling direction of the operation switches becomes radial directions relative to the steering wheel, and the disposing space of the switches can be reduced, thereby making it possible to collectively arrange a number of switches on the steering wheel. In addition, the detecting direction of the single switch becomes at least two directions, and two controlling functions for the controlling apparatus can be controlled with the single switch and therefore multiple functions can be provided on individual switches. Moreover, since many of the operation switches mounted on the steering vehicle can be arranged concentrically with the steering wheel, the quality of the product can be improved by the superior external appearance thereof.
It is preferred that the supporting body is disposed in front of the steering wheel toward the front of the vehicle. This enables the operation of the switches with the other fingers other than the thumb (for example, the index finger), whereby the operability of the switches can be improved.
A space between the operation switches for use for controlling different apparatuses is wider than a space between the operation switches for use for controlling the same apparatus. Since grouping of the operation switches for every apparatus can be visualized, the discrimination of the operating switches becomes simple, whereby the operability thereof can be improved.
It is preferred that the operation switch is capable of moving even in a radial direction of the supporting body. The operating direction can be made two-dimensional, whereby the collected switches can be made multifunctional further.